LocationsIncreasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities
October 26, 2023
Increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities
Ashgabat, 26 October 2023: Within the project “Towards decent work for people with disabilities in Turkmenistan: transforming social enterprises into meaningful training and employment opportunities” implemented jointly by UNDP and the Society of the Blind and Deaf of Turkmenistan (BDST) with funding from the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, a Ceremony of opening the cardboard and printing workshop No 1 of the BDST in Ashgabat was held on 24th of October, and a South-South Forum, was held on 26 October 2023 at the UN Building in Ashgabat.
The workshop was renovated and re-equipped with complete set of modern cardboard and printing equipment designed specifically to facilitate the work of people with visual and hearing impairments. The newly brought equipment will help the BDST staff sufficiently increase the production of a wide range of goods, including paper bags, cards, and any other types of printing manufacturing.
In June of this year, UNDP conducted a training session for the employees of the BDST's cardboard and printing workshop in Ashgabat on operating and maintenance the newly acquired equipment, ensuring optimal utilization of new technology.
“Renewal of the premises and procurement of a new equipment for cardboard and printing workshop of the BDST in Ashgabat will help the society members work more efficiently, improve productivity, increase customer base and become more competitive in the market,” – noted Tomica Paovic, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Turkmenistan at the opening ceremony.
As part of the above-mentioned joint project, the South-South Forum, was held on 26 October 2023 at the UN Building in Ashgabat. The Forum aimed at raising awareness of the social model of disability and inclusive approaches in the field of employment and vocational education and was attended by interested key partners from the Turkmen side, national and international experts. During the event participants were introduced to the results of the above-mentioned joint project, focusing on the modernization and re-equipment of three BDST training and production enterprises, including sewing workshops in the cities of Mary and Turkmenabat, and the outcomes of the completed and ongoing training of BDST personnel to ensure effective use of the provided equipment.
Within the framework of the Project, the official visit of the delegation of international experts from China, was organized on 24-26 October 2023 in Turkmenistan. The purpose of the visit was to assess the project's progress and achievements, as well as share expertise and build relationships between local BDST specialists and international knowledge platforms. The international experts also conducted a workshop on apprenticeship and discussed the Apprenticeship Manual, which was developed as part of the project.
The project “Towards decent work for people with disabilities in Turkmenistan: transforming social enterprises into meaningful training and employment opportunities” is implemented jointly by UNDP and the Society of the Blind and Deaf of Turkmenistan (BDST) with funding from the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund. The project aims to improve the business activities of the three social enterprises of the BDST, operating in Ashgabat, Turkmenabat and Mary, as well as strengthen organizational capacity of the BDST to better support its members to become sustainable models for vocational training, employment support and transition to open market employment.
